Starck's New Reality

When Philippe Starck designed the Royalton Hotel, there were lamps that resembled animal horns and a champagne bar shaped like the inside of a bottle. "In the '80s, the boutique hotel was about design," says Starck. "Today we want something completely different. We don't speak about design." Starck's latest endeavor is SLS Hotels, a new brand meant to "re-explode" the luxury-hotel experience. The first property, SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, opens next month. Rather than the flashy design motifs of the past, the emphasis is on quieter indulgences. Design retailer Murray Moss will select objects to display for sale in vitrines...